Fordham Observer Issue 11

Fordham Observer Issue 11

The Student Voice of Fordham College at Lincoln Center

www .fordhamobserver.com The Observer October 20, 2011 News 3 THUR., OCT. 20 Sophomore Convocation Noon - 1 p.m. Pope Auditorium Club Networking Dinner 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Cafeteria Atrium CSA’s Taboo Night 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. student Lounge SOL’s Movie Screening of “City of Gods” 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. student Lounge TUE., OCT. 25 CAB/Res-Life Halloween Party 7 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Cafeteria Atrium &amp; student Lounge THUR., Oct. 27 CSA’s Trip to Haunted House 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. steampunk haunted house FACE AIDS’ Movie Screening of “Philadel- phia” 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. TbA FRI., OCT. 28 SOL Block Party Electric Amazon 8 p.m. - Midnight Cafeteria Atrium &amp; student Lounge TUE., NOV. 1 Fordham’s Got Talent Audition Day 1 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Cafeteria Atrium &amp; student Lounge Calendar Crime FRI., OCT. 7 At 1:20 a.m., a guest tried to walk passed the security desk in McMahon hall as a resident and failed to display an ID card. he was with five other students who had their ID card with them. he refused to cooperate and security was notified. SAT., OCT. 8 At 1:10 p.m., a former student entered the Lincoln Center bookstore and attempted to steal a book. The student was appre- hended by security and taken off the premises. SUN., OCT. 9 At 1 a.m., a supervisor received a call that there was a heated dispute from an apartment in Mc- Mahon hall. Upon arrival, the su- pervisor found broken beer bottles and the students were referred to residential Life. MON., OCT. 10 A student was walking on the plaza to McMahon hall when she was encountered by a group of nine males at 3:45 p.m. The males started to harass the student so they were ejected from the plaza and are subject to arrest if they had returned. THURS., OCT. 13 At 11:15 p.m., a student found a plastic bag containing marijuana in the laundry room of McMahon hall. security was immediately notified. Compiled by Sara Azoulay Compiled by Laura Chang By kUSUM DHANSINGHANI Contributing Writer The resident population at Ford- ham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) has gradually increased while the percentage of commuters has subtly declined over the last five years. Most students are told that half the student population com- muts to school while the other half live in McMahon Hall dormitories, a fact that no longer holds true. According to Patricia Peek, asso- ciate dean of admission and direc- tor of Lincoln Center’s Enrollment Group, applications for admission have been increasing in general across all categories, whether they are applying for housing or not. This year, 59 percent of freshman students live in McMahon while 41 percent reside off-campus. Peek also said that 58.1 percent of the general FCLC population was comprised of non-residents in 2006, and decreased to 55.9 percent in 2010. The percentage of resident stu- dents was 41.9 percent in 2006 and rose to 44.1 percent in 2010. Peek pointed to various rea- sons that play a role in the chang- ing percentage of resident to com- muter students. “Each year there are some fluctuations in the number of residential life spaces available for freshmen. These factors include vacancies due to study abroad, at- trition and students who opt to live off-campus.” She said that in recent years, the demand for housing has been high at FCLC and the school was unable to offer residential spaces to all stu- dents who requested housing. “There will be additional residential spaces available when the new residence hall opens and at that time, we will address how that may change the ra- tio of residents on campus.” However, commuters like Kevin Quaratino, FCLC ’13 and president of the Commuting Students Asso- ciation (CSA), does not believe that an increase of residents is a concern for the organization. Quaratino said, “The commuter population is very involved and they tend to really stick together and they understand that because they are not traditional college students, their college experience is really up to them, and as a result they’re really good about attending CSA events.” There may be no threat for CSA, but some students think the invis- ible line between the two groups exists. Nikaurys Quiterio, FCLC ’13, who commutes from the Bronx said, “I don’t feel like commuters and res- idents have a sense of unity.” Quit- erio said that it isn’t as strong as it could be, but she does not think an increase of residents would have an effect on her. “Yes, Lincoln Center is more of a commuter college, but it’s also a college and it needs to have that residential aspect,” she said. Commuters are not the only in- dividuals at Fordham who notice the divide. Laura Cunningham, FCLC ’13 and a resident in McMa- hon, said, “A lot of events aren’t convenient for commuters so I feel like there is a disconnect. I’ve made commuter friends in class and when I ask them to hang out they tell me that they don’t live here.” Although some students see the divide, it is still not the case for ev- eryone. Jonathon Johnson, FCLC ’13, is a commuter but has many friends who live here on campus. He said, “I’m friends with commut- ers and residents, and I’ve never had a problem. I feel like when people make those factors distinguishable, they’re separating and isolating themselves.” Faculty and Students Discuss Wall Street Movement Commuter-Resident Ratio No Longer 50/50 have class, and said that she went the first day it began after reading a post by Anonymous, the online activist hacking group. “I think it’s insane and beauti- ful how people have really caught on to the ideas that have been broadcasted through the Occupy Wall Street movement.” She said that the reason she thinks the protests have lasted a month has largely to do with the protestors’ discipline and respect. “There’s a huge emphasis on respect and nonviolence and that’s given the movement a lot of stay- ing power because police and au- thorities have no excuse to put a stop to it,” O’ Hara said. Naison agrees with O’Hara’s statement, and said, “Everytime you send the police there, it only makes the movement even big- ger.” In May 2011’s Vanity Fair issue, Joseph E. Stiglitz wrote the article entitled “Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%,” where he stated that the top one percent control 40 percent of our nation’s wealth. That one percent is mainly wealthy corpo- rations and people who work in national corporations like Wall Street. It is the rest of the 99 percent in which O’Hara said the protest is trying to shift consciousness to- wards. “Students are a part of the 99 percent of the country that did not benefit from the bank bailouts and it is our student loans that aren’t getting bailed out.” As a student, she said that it is our responsibility to take action. “We’re about to go out and enter the world after we graduate and we should be the ones making sure for ourselves that it’s the world we want to go out into.” Another FCLC student said he really wants to go, but cannot make it due to his class and intern- ship schedule. However, Ardi Domgjonia, FCLC ’13, said that he strongly supports the protestors at Wall Street and hopes the movement will continue to be strong. He said that he is skeptical about how much longer this movement will last. “With winter coming along, I don’t know how many more peo- ple will stand outside in the cold and sleepover parks, but my hope is that this movement, although it has the name Wall Street, will continue to spread to other places and not stay on Wall Street.” He discussed how Boston and Wash- ington, D.C. have held their own version of the protest, but the fact that hundreds are arrested over there is as important as if it were on Wall Street. Domgjonia also said that he is glad the protest is at Wall Street, a symbolic space that has influ- enced cities across the nation. He said that the media will always cover the good and the bad, “but the important thing is that they have attracted media attention.” In addition, Naison said that he encourages everyone, not just his students, to go. “This is where the action is in American right now because it is all over the world.” He concluded, “Things can change very fast, and this move- ment is a month old, but its al- ready made history. Hold on to your hats because it’s going to be- come more.” WALL STREET FrOM PAGe 1 PhOTO ILLUsTrATION bY sArA AZOULAY/The Observer The lockers at FCLC are available for commuters to use but the percentage of commuters is dwindling. Want more? Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @ FORDHAMOBSERVER scan This To Access www. FordhamObserver.com On Your Mobile Phone!!